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Wasted Spend & Negative Keyword Finder

Your search terms report is where budget quietly leaks. Paste it in and see exactly how much you are wasting on queries that never convert, plus a ready-to-use negative keyword list to stop the bleeding.

By the Digital Success paid-media team · Updated September 2026 · Free, results in seconds

The short version: the average account wastes roughly a quarter of its budget on irrelevant search terms. Paste your search terms export and this tool totals the spend on zero-conversion queries, flags the biggest money-wasters, spots junk themes like free, jobs, DIY and how-to, and hands you a negative keyword list you can paste straight into Google Ads.
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Paste your search terms, see the waste

One row per line as search term, cost, conversions. Everything is read in your browser, nothing is uploaded.

What you get

A straight answer to the most expensive question in paid search: how much of my budget is being wasted, and on what? Paste your search terms and you will see the total spend going to queries that never converted, the specific terms burning the most money, the recurring junk themes behind them (words like free, jobs, DIY, salary, how-to), and a negative keyword list you can copy straight into Google Ads. It is the 23% waste story made concrete, from your own numbers, in one screen you can screenshot.

How it works

  1. In Google Ads, open Insights and reports, then Search terms.
  2. Copy or download the report with the term, cost and conversions columns.
  3. Paste the rows below as term, cost, conversions. Everything is read in your browser.
  4. See your wasted spend, then open and download your ready-to-use negative keyword list.

Why this matters more every year

Negative keywords are the most underrated lever in paid search, and in 2026 they matter more than ever. Broad match and Smart Bidding are designed to widen the range of searches you match, which means more of your budget reaches queries you never chose, and Google shows you less of the search terms report than it once did. Left alone, an account drifts toward waste automatically. The fix is not clever, it is disciplined: review the terms often, block the junk, and keep a clean shared negative list. This tool does the finding in seconds so the discipline is easy to keep.

Frequently asked questions

What is wasted ad spend?
Money spent on clicks that never had a chance of converting, usually irrelevant or research-only search terms. Here it is measured as spend on terms that got clicks but zero conversions, the clearest and most common leak.
What are negative keywords?
Terms you tell Google never to show your ads for. Adding negatives for junk queries is the single most effective way to cut waste, and this tool builds the list for you.
How do I get my search terms report?
In Google Ads, Insights and reports, then Search terms. Include term, cost and conversions, then copy or download and paste here. Nothing is uploaded.
How much can I save?
Commonly 15-45% of spend in accounts that are not cleaned regularly. This tool shows your real number from your data, not an average.
Why is waste getting worse in 2026?
Broad match and Smart Bidding widen your matching on purpose, and the search terms report reveals less than before. That makes frequent negative-keyword work more important, not less.
Is it free?
Yes, free with no login, read entirely in your browser. Share your details once to open the full table and download the negative list.

Further reading from Digital Success

Want the leaks found and sealed for you?

Finding wasted spend takes a minute; keeping an account clean as automation widens your targeting is ongoing work. Digital Success does it every week for the accounts we manage. Talk to a specialist for a free review.

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